We are glad to see that more nursing home residents and their families are fighting against nursing home abuse. It’s always been a serious issue, but more people are fighting for their rights to dignity.
Whether you live in a home or have a loved one living in one, you can start a lawsuit with the help of our Wayne nursing home abuse attorneys. If you suspect nursing home abuse, call Morelli Law Firm. You can get compensation, potentially save lives, and improve the quality of life of others in that facility.
What to Do First If You Suspect Nursing Home Abuse
First, if there is serious danger to the resident, like physical or sexual abuse, or you feel they are in a life-threatening situation, call 911 to get help. The police and paramedics can move your loved one to a hospital for evaluation and start an investigation.
If you suspect abuse, the first thing to do is to make a complaint at the nursing home about what you’ve seen. Then, if you see no difference, you can go a level higher and complain to the New Jersey Long Term Care Ombudsman.
This office investigates nursing home issues and gathers evidence for regulatory agencies and lawsuits. If they find evidence of abuse, you can file a nursing home abuse claim. If the treatment took the life of your loved one, you can file a wrongful death claim.
What Our Lawyers Can Do With the Evidence
In order to sue successfully, we have to prove your claim is factual. When you go through the chain of complaints, you create a paper trail that shows evidence of neglect and abuse. Our nursing home abuse attorneys in Wayne can use that evidence as proof to hold people or institutions liable for nursing home abuse.
Through that proof, we can do more than sue for damages. We can also approach regulators to tell them to force changes in the home to keep other residents safe. Sometimes, an abuser can slip through the hiring process and have their pick of victims. These abusers can try to hide their tracks, but an investigation can expose them and get them removed from the industry.
Wayne Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
The Six Types of Nursing Home Abuse
Knowing the signs of abuse can help residents and families put a stop to them before they get out of hand, whether through complaints or through a lawsuit. The six categories of nursing home abuse are:
- Neglect
- Physical
- Sexual
- Psychological
- Emotional
- Financial
The most common one for nursing homes is neglect. Many homes run with less staff than they should, and that can cause neglectful situations. A single instance of neglect usually isn’t enough for a lawsuit, but a pattern can be.
If the resident is suffering from active neglect, that’s much more serious and could be a sign that other abuse is present or will happen in the future. These are things like making residents miss appointments, withholding food and medication, or neglecting hygiene.
Psychological and Emotional Abuse
While physical and sexual abuse can leave obvious marks, the scars of psychological and emotional abuse are harder to see. First, know that it’s improper for staff to verbally abuse or yell at residents. This should be reported immediately to the charge nurse or another supervisor.
If you see sudden weight gain or loss, negative changes in behavior, or a withdrawal from social activity, these are signs that psychological or emotional abuse may be present. Speak with one of our Wayne nursing home abuse lawyers, and we can guide you on gathering more evidence.
Understanding Financial Elder Abuse
The National Center on Elder Abuse claims that $2.6 billion dollars is lost each year due to elder financial abuse. This is illegal and you can sue about it. It’s good to have at least one family member retain access to financial records to look for transactions.
Be very careful of any sudden changes to financial and probate instruments, beneficiaries, powers of attorney documents, or anything else related to the resident’s property and representation.
Get Help for Your Wayne Nursing Home Abuse Case
With the compensation you get from a nursing home abuse case, you can move the resident to a new home to get them away from the abuse. This can improve the quality of their lives and restore their dignity.
Get a free case evaluation to learn more about what our nursing home abuse attorneys in Wayne can do for you. Call or contact Morelli Law Firm online for more information.